


say something (i'll be waiting for you)

by forbiddenquill



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Just Satzu having huge crushes on each other its very cute ok, There's a small scene where they have to deal with annoying boys but it's very minor, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, just fluff trust me its fluff!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:09:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27161609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forbiddenquill/pseuds/forbiddenquill
Summary: It’s hard having a crush on Minatozaki Sana.Tzuyu knows because she’s had a crush on Sana since the start of the school year. And even though it’s perfectly acceptable to fall for one of the prettiest, nicest, and brightest girl in her class, Tzuyu would rather endure the endless teasing from her best friend Dahyun than confess her feelings. Even if that said crush feels the same way.But she doesn’t know that.(or, alternatively, Sana and Tzuyu tiptoe around each other.)
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Minatozaki Sana, Hirai Momo/Im Nayeon, Kim Dahyun/Myoui Mina
Comments: 16
Kudos: 428





	say something (i'll be waiting for you)

**Author's Note:**

> Commissioned by @tzuyutwt! Thank you for commissioning me and I'm very sorry for the long wait.
> 
> I hope it's worth it! 
> 
> I based this high school AU around Time To Twice, which means it's light and fluffy! Unlike all the other Satzu fics out there that I've read, LOL.
> 
> Also, I've never watched a single game of tennis in my entire life and Idk why I picked tennis as Sana's sport but meh, just roll with it. 
> 
> Title is from TWICE's new b-side, Say Something.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

**-**

"You're doing it again," Dahyun commented idly, not looking up from the book she was reading in her hands. 

Tzuyu glanced sharply at her. "Doing what?" she asked in a tense but otherwise guilty voice. 

Dahyun shrugged. "Staring at the one and only Minatozaki Sana." 

It was History, which meant that Tzuyu and Dahyun were seated together in the very center of the library where they had been tasked to research on their next project. As the President and Vice President of their class, they were also expected to keep their classmates quiet while the teacher, Sunmi Lee, was off doing other errands. Dahyun, having already finished with her work, was now reading a book that Tzuyu suspected was given to her by none other than Myoui Mina, the foreign exchange student from America who had a soft spot for the president. 

"I'm not," Tzuyu mumbled, looking down at her notes, "I was just staring off into space." 

"I wasn't aware that _space_ meant the back of Minatozaki Sana's head," Dahyun jokingly said.

"You know you don't have to say her entire name out loud, right?" 

Dahyun smirked, put down her book and enunciated, very clearly but low enough thay her voice couldn't be heard over the chatter of their classmates, " _Mi—na—to—za—ki—Sa—"_ She was cut off by the distressed expression on Tzuyu's face, giggling to herself. "I'm only joking, Tzuyu-yah." 

"Well, you're not funny." Tzuyu let out an aggravated sigh and sheepishly looked over at the subject of their conversation. Minatozaki Sana was laughing at whatever Im Nayeon was saying, which made something Tzuyu's chest ache. 

"Hey, I have a proposition," Dahyun said, "Why don't you— _you know, like a normal human being—_ go out there and talk to her?" 

Tzuyu's eyes widened. "Are you _insane_? She's like… _so_ pretty. How am I supposed to walk up to her, open my mouth, and come up with words that won't make her think I'm a sad, pathetic loser?" 

Dahyun raised an eyebrow. "What makes _you_ think you're a sad, pathetic loser?" 

"Well, I'm the one with the least stickers out of all of us," Tzuyu pointed out. 

"The sticker system is flawed," Dahyun said, "It doesn't really show smart or talented you are in classes—it just shows you which student the teacher favors out of everybody."

Unconsciously, they both angled their gaze to where Park Jihyo was sitting next to Myoui Mina—the teacher's pet and the foreign exchange student buried deep in their own research. It seemed that they were one of the few people who were taking the task given to them by Teacher Lee seriously. Next to Jihyo was a sticker-studded folder. 

"You know what I mean," Dahyun said, waving away Tzuyu's worries. 

Tzuyu sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Fine, whatever, but it still doesn't erase the fact that she's way out of my league." 

"I don't know about that," Dahyun said knowingly, "She voted for you, right?" 

"She wears glasses. Maybe she checked the wrong name." 

Dahyun fixed her with a blank stare. "You _do_ know that to vote for the Class President, you have to write the full name of the candidate of your choice? I don't know about you but _Kim Dahyun_ is a far cry from _Chou Tzuyu._ " 

Tzuyu shrugged, playing with her pen. "I guess so," she mumbled. 

"For real, talk to her." Dahyun's lips quirked into a smile. "She's a nice girl—she won't bite." 

That was the least of Tzuyu's problems. Everybody knew Minatozaki Sana was nice—the same way everybody knew Park Jihyo was gunning for Valedictorian or that Hirai Momo and Im Nayeon had a thing for each other. But the more Tzuyu thought about how nice Sana was, the more she grew nervous. Because she didn’t want to do or say anything that could make Sana _not_ be nice to her. After all, Tzuyu wasn’t the most outspoken or graceful person out there. This was why her friend group consisted of Kim Dahyun and sometimes, Son Chaeyoung (who was only there because she and Dahyun were churchmates) and Hirai Momo (who was only friends with her because she always had some imported snacks her father sent her hidden in her bag.) 

“Head’s up,” Dahyun said, kicking her under the table.

Tzuyu yelped and looked up to see Sana and Nayeon approaching. Sana, as usual, had her hair in twin ponytails with her round glasses perched on her sharp nose. Her lips, as always, were spread in a wide grin. And Tzuyu, every single time she looked at the other girl, felt her heart skip a beat. Sana dragged Nayeon by the wrist behind her while a stack of papers rested in her other arm.

“Hi Pres, Vice Pres,” Sana greeted happily, “Nayeon-chan and I are done with our work.”

Dahyun raised her eyebrows. “You are?”

“Yup!” Sana’s grin widened. “Is it okay if we head back to the classroom ahead of everybody else? Teacher Lee doesn’t have to know about it!”

“Hmm.” Dahyun looked over at Tzuyu. “What do you think, Vice Pres?” 

“Me?” Tzuyu sputtered out a few incoherent words. “ _You’re_ the President!”

“Yeah, but I think I can hear Chaengie calling for me.” That was a blatant lie but Dahyun winked at her before she grabbed her book off the table and went to Chaeyoung’s table, where she was sitting next to Hirai Momo and Yoo Jeongyeon. 

Sana and Nayeon glanced at each other. “ _Okay_ ,” Nayeon said, placing one hand on her hip, “that was weird.” She looked at Tzuyu. “So, what about it, Vice Pres?”

Tzuyu didn’t really like breaking the rules, even if it would suit her own benefit. She most especially didn’t like breaking the rules for anybody else, even if they were her own friends. When Momo had been suspected of lying about some missing lab equipment and the teacher had asked anybody if they could confirm it, Tzuyu—desperate for any sort of approval from any authority figure—had raised her hand and nodded hastily. Momo forgave her for it later on but at the cost of three months’ worth of snacks from Taiwan. 

But…

This _was_ Minatozaki Sana that was asking…

Before Tzuyu could answer, Sana suddenly leaned forward, dumping her paperwork on the table in front of Tzuyu. Her eyes were wide and open and her lips formed an adorable pout. The sight was so jarring that for a split second, Tzuyu could only stare. Minatozaki Sana was already dangerous to her heart just by herself but with that puppy-eyed look, Tzuyu’s entire resolve crumbled instantly. 

“Please, Vice Pres?” Sana leaned closer. Up close and personal, her eyes were a startling hazel color and Tzuyu was positive she’d get lost in them the more she stared. “Surely, you can come up with an excuse if Teacher Lee comes looking for us?”

“You can tell her that I went to the infirmary,” Nayeon suggested, “Period cramps and everything.”

Tzuyu’s mouth felt very dry. She chanced a glance at Dahyun who was hiding a grin behind her book. Then she looked back at her crush and slowly nodded her head. “Okay,” she mumbled.

Sana’s eyes lit up while Nayeon sighed in relief. “Thanks, Vice Pres!” the former said brightly. Then, in a move that seemed to surprise the other two people listening in on the conversation, Sana surged forward and wrapped Tzuyu in a hug. Tzuyu stiffened, unsure of what to do with her hands or any part of her body for that matter. But Sana didn’t seem to mind, already pulling back with a shy smile and a sheepish wave before she grabbed Nayeon’s hand and dragged her out of the library.

Dahyun came bouncing back seconds later. “So,” she began, “that went well!” 

Tzuyu resisted the urge to slam her head down the table. “Shut up,” she mumbled under her breath and covered her ears when Dahyun started laughing. 

-

“Tzuyu, for the love of _God_ ,” Chaeyoung said with an exasperated sigh, successfully managing to make the taller girl jump out of her skin, “you’re beginning to look like a creep.”

“I wasn’t doing anything,” Tzuyu shot back, “I was just admiring the view.”

Chaeyoung raised an eyebrow. “The view _is_ great,” she agreed slowly as she took a seat next to Tzuyu on the bleachers overlooking the courtyard, where the girl’s tennis team was preparing for that afternoon’s practice. “if you’re looking at Minatozaki Sana, that is,” Chaeyoung later added.

“You’re starting to sound like Dahyun-ah.” Tzuyu reached into her bag and pulled out some salty snacks. Chaeyoung smiled widely at the sight of them before she took a couple of pieces for herself and thanked her. “Where is she, anyway?”

“Probably hanging out with Myoui Mina.”

Tzuyu pursed her lips as she watched the girls do some stretches. “Are they a thing now?” 

Chaeyoung shrugged, looking like she didn’t particularly care about who Dahyun liked. “Maybe,” she answered. 

The two fell in silence as the girl’s tennis team started doing a few runs around the court. Tzuyu recognized a few people from the other classes—Jung Eunha, Kim Yerim, Jeon Heejin, Im Nayeon and most importantly, Minatozaki Sana. While the library or coffee shop or even her bedroom back home was a quieter place to study in, Tzuyu liked to spend her days here, watching the way the girls practiced and even getting a few assignments done in time. She wasn’t the only one, of course. The girl’s tennis team had their own fanclub. A few boys from the neighboring schools—Tzuyu thanked the fact that there were none _inside_ the school, grateful for having been enrolled in an all-girls private academy—often flocked the gates around the courtyard and ogled at the women, as if they had never seen any of them wear sportswear before. It annoyed Tzuyu a lot, which was one of the main reasons why she stayed here to watch over Sana and make sure those boys wouldn’t say anything out of line. 

“You know,” Chaeyoung broke the silence, “Dahyun wasn’t the one who made the first move on Mina.”

Tzuyu gave her a puzzled look. “Huh?”

Chaeyoung shrugged again. “Just saying,” she said, “I don’t think it’s fair that she’s teasing you about your crush on Sana when she spent like the past month sighing to herself and mumbling ‘ _she’s so cool’_ every time Mina passed by.” 

“Ah.” Tzuyu bit back a grin. “Thanks for the blackmail material.”

It was in that exact moment that they both heard a loud ‘ _pssst!_ ’ from behind them. Tzuyu’s back straightened, already getting used to this type of treatment from boys who were tired of hollering at the girls practicing tennis and instead focused on the ones sitting on the bench. Like her, for example. 

Chaeyoung scowled, looking over her shoulder. “Who the fuck—?” 

“Ignore them,” Tzuyu said tersely, “They’re always there.” 

“That doesn’t particularly soothe me.” But Chaeyoung did as she was told and pointedly ignored the boys. However, as the team’s practice match continued, Chaeyoung grew even more restless at what the boys were saying:

_“Come on, hit harder!”_

_“Is that the best you can do, girls?”_

_“Why don’t you let us in so that we can teach you a thing or two?”_

Tzuyu's hand encircled Chaeyoung's. "Don't," she muttered, “They’re not worth it.”

“Well, they’re annoying,” the shorter girl said sourly. She glared at them over her shoulder. “Like, what’s the problem?”

“They’re just creeps,” Tzuyu replied, “You know how boys are.”

“Far too much for my liking.”

However, it was getting increasingly hard to ignore the catcalls and whispers the boys were throwing their way. Just as Tzuyu was about to suggest moving to another spot, one of them said, “Hey, you. Yeah. The one with the orange hair. Are you bored over there? Me and the boys can teach you how to have a little fun, if you catch my drift.” Then they started howling and laughing, apparently finding the whole thing hilarious even though Tzuyu was getting more uncomfortable.

Chaeyoung rose from her seat, mouth hanging open in outrage, when suddenly, a yellow object whizzed past the side of Tzuyu’s head and slammed onto the fence behind them. This caught the boys off guard, making them yelp and jump away. The one who made the lewd comment backed off instantly, staring in awe at the object in question. It was a tennis ball and it had been clearly aimed at them. Tzuyu looked over to the courtyard and found Sana approaching their side of the bench, a wide but somewhat _deadly_ smile playing on her lips. She wasn’t wearing her glasses this time and she was also swinging her tennis racket back and forth, which felt incredibly threatening.

“Oh!” she said, hopping forward, “I’m such a _klutz_. Did you get hurt?”

But she wasn’t looking at the boys. Instead, she was looking straight at Tzuyu.

Tzuyu’s mouth dropped open. “Uh, no.”

“Good!” Sana picked up the tennis ball. Her smile faded when she looked back at the boys staring at her. “Next time, I won’t miss.”

Then she went back to practice, head held high. The boys grumbled amongst themselves, throwing the words _bitch_ in the air, before they too eventually stalked off. Tzuyu stared after her crush, mouth still hanging open. After a while, Chaeyoung took pity and closed it shut for her.

-

Tzuyu had Vice President duties, which meant that she visited the teacher’s office more often than her other classmates did. Every Friday, after classes ended and people went off to do club activities, Tzuyu would pick up the paperwork her teachers would assign her to do and head off to the office. Of course Dahyun was the first option to do this but she was also part of the debate team with Park Jihyo, which meant that she was busy too. Tzuyu would’ve joined a club if she was interested in one but so far, she wasn’t. That’s why she spent her days watching the girls practicing tennis or hanging out with Momo at the cooking club. Sometimes, she’d even head over to the back of the school, where Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon would be playing video games with Mina.

This time, Tzuyu was on her way to the office when she noticed Sana up ahead in the hallway, waving goodbye to Nayeon and mentioning something about getting some extra credit done. At the sight of her crush, Tzuyu physically felt her lungs contract, which made her take an even deeper breath to compensate for the lack of oxygen. And somehow, Sana must’ve heard her because she looked over her shoulder and smiled.

“Tzuyu-ssi,” she called, gesturing for her to come close, “Are you heading to the office?”

Tzuyu nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“Good! I was going the same way. Let’s keep each other company, okay?”

Keeping Sana company was something Tzuyu had high up in her list of things she wanted to do for the rest of her life but she bit back a smile and just nodded.

“So,” Sana began, still with that bright, chirpy smile on her face, “how are you?”

Tzuyu should’ve thought her choices through before she stupidly agreed to accompanying Sana on the way to the teacher’s office because they’ve never had a full conversation together and it just occurred to her now that she was probably not prepared for this. But Sana had asked a question and Tzuyu would slap herself in the face if she didn’t come up with an adequate response.

“Good,” she replied shortly.

Sana winced. “That’s nice,” she replied.

Tzuyu wanted to slap herself. She probably sounded off or cold. Sana was expecting somebody who could carry a conversation, which Tzuyu couldn’t, of course. She was already a shy person when it came to people but she was even bigger mess when it came to Minatozaki Sana.

“I mean,” she added, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “I’ve been good. What about you?”

Sana’s smile returned. “Just been busy with tennis practice,” she said, “Coach Kang is really grinding us to do well in time for a match this Saturday.”

“I’m sure you’ll do well,” Tzuyu said, “I watch you guys practice. You’re very good.” She refrained from talking about what Sana had done to those boys during one of those said practices. Judging by the proud smirk on the other girl’s face, however, it was clear that she remembered it.

“Thank you for the show of support,” Sana said, “I really appreciate it.”

“It’s not a problem.” Tzuyu looked down at her feet as they neared the office. Her heart was pounding in her chest. In the back of her mind, she could hear Dahyun’s voice in her head, egging her on. _Talk to her!_ _She’s just a girl! Not some rabid animal who’s going to bite your head off if you say the wrong thing!_ But Tzuyu would rather get bitten by some rabid animal instead of embarrassing herself in front of her crush. She thinks she could handle dying of a bite wound than of embarrassment.

“Would you wanna watch?”

The question was asked so casually, so flippantly, like it didn’t even matter if it was rejected, that Tzuyu failed to notice the light blush on Sana’s cheeks and the shaking of her fingers as she, too, tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. The reflection of Sana’s glasses hid the nervous way her gaze slid to the taller girl.

“Oh,” Tzuyu breathed out softly, “Sure, if that’s okay with you.”

Sana grinned at her. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

Before Tzuyu could reply, they arrived at the teacher’s office. Sana was quickly ushered by one of the teachers but she didn’t forget to wave goodbye to Tzuyu as they parted ways. On the other hand, Tzuyu deposited the paperwork and left soon after but not before she sent a quick glance to Sana on the way out, not realizing that a smile was playing on her lips as she did so.

-

Hirai Momo was staring at her.

“What?” Tzuyu asked, unconsciously raising a hand to her cheek like she could detect if there was anything wrong with it. “Is there something on my face?”

Momo shook her head, fixing her round glasses. “I just didn’t expect to see you here,” she admitted, “I didn’t think our Vice Pres was interested in tennis.”

Tzuyu looked around the area. The field was larger than she expected. Different girls from different teams representing different schools all scattered around, stretching, practicing, even chatting with one another. There was no tension in the air. Everybody looked like they were here for a good time. She spotted Sana and Nayeon practicing at one part of the field and felt her cheeks flush.

“I am,” she told Momo and took a seat next to her. She offered some of her snacks. “Want one?”

Momo’s mouth quirked into a grin. “Don’t mind if I do.”

The rest of the game went on smoothly. If Tzuyu was being completely honest, she didn’t really know the rules well. She just came here because Sana asked her to. A smaller part of her knew that even if Sana hadn’t asked, she would’ve still gone anyway. She stood straight in her seat while Momo slouched next to her, eyes glued on Sana's back as she leapt, sprang forward, hopped in her place on the courtyard. The smile never left her face. It was blinding—like rays of sunlight piercing through the surface of the water. Tzuyu was mesmerized. 

"Huh," Momo said halfway through the game, putting a potato chip past her lips. 

"What?" Tzuyu asked.

"Seems like I'm not the only one who isn't interested in the game." The bespectacled girl smiled, looking at the subject of Tzuyu's stare, "So, Minatozaki Sana, huh?" 

Tzuyu winced. "What's it to you?" 

"Nothing." Momo was still wearing a shit-eating grin. "Maybe we should double date sometime." 

Tzuyu choked on her potato chips. "What!" 

"Just saying." 

"You'd need two couples for that," Tzuyu grumbled, brushing away potato crumbs from her lap, "Sana and I aren't—we haven't—I haven't even _asked—_ "

Momo started laughing loudly, practically doubling over with tears in her eyes. She wiped them away at the sight of Tzuyu's murderous expression. "Relax, Vice Pres," she said, still grinning so broadly that it looked like it hurt, "I was just messing with you." 

Tzuyu took back the snacks she had offered earlier and grumbled under her breath. 

"Hey!" Momo whined, leaning forward and trying to wrestle the bag of potato chips from Tzuyu's grip. In their heated scuffle, the snack's entire content spilled on the floor beneath them. Momo looked so heartbroken Tzuyu almost laughed. 

"Sorry, Momoring." 

Momo looked away, disgusted. "You owe me potato chips." 

Tzuyu would've agreed. _Wait._ "Huh? But these were mine…" 

-

"You did great!" Momo told Nayeon cheerfully when the game was over and their team managed to bring home second place. 

Nayeon's smile was almost blinding as she looked at Momo and hugged her tight. Tzuyu watched awkwardly from the sideline, feeling as if she was intruding in something intimate, when Sana popped up from the locker rooms and waved happily at Tzuyu. The sigh of relief that passed the Vice President's lips didn't go unnoticed but Sana just laughed. 

"How did I do?" Sana asked with a flourish of her hair. 

_Amazing. Wonderful. Spectacular. Never been done before. Breathtaking. I like you so much._

"Good," Tzuyu replied and mentally facepalmed. 

But Sana didn't seem too bothered by the response. In fact, she seemed to preen. "Thank you, Tzuyu-ssi," she said. She pointed at the water bottle Tzuyu had in her hand. "Can I take a sip? I'm so thirsty." 

Tzuyu flushed. The bottle had been opened already. She'd taken two sips of it earlier. But Sana was looking at her, as if challenging her, and Tzuyu quietly handed it. She heard Nayeon and Momo snickering behind her and paid them no mind. Sana's smile widened as she popped the bottle cap open, took a long sip with her lips pressed against where Tzuyu's had been nearly ten minutes earlier, and kept her eyes on Tzuyu. "That's some good water," she said after she finished. 

Tzuyu felt a blush creeping on her neck. "Yeah, you can keep it," she said. 

"Well, it's already empty." Sana giggled and hopped off to throw the bottle into the recycling bin. 

When she came back, Nayeon and Momo had already made plans to celebrate elsewhere, which left Tzuyu alone with Sana. "I'll see you on Monday," the cheerful girl said, waving them away enthusiastically. If Tzuyu didn't know any better, she would've thought that Sana was purposely trying to push them away. But that would be insane. Why would Sana want them alone? _She isn't going to bite_ , Tzuyu thought to herself, thinking of what Dahyun might say in this situation. 

"Are you going home already?" Sana asked Tzuyu. 

Tzuyu nodded. "Yeah, it's getting late." It was actually 2 PM. 

Thankfully, Sana didn't call her out on it. "Hmm, that's a shame. I was hoping you'd accompany me somewhere." 

Tzuyu resisted the urge to melt when Sana fixed her with a puppy-eyed look. "Where?" she asked. The single word felt as if it had been ripped from her throat. She felt breathless. This was the effect of Minatozaki Sana. 

Sana made a thoughtful expression. "Do you like bubble tea?" 

"Yeah," Tzuyu answered, "It tastes fine.” 

"Good! Cause we're going to Gong Cha." Then Sana slipped her arm through Tzuyu's and led the way. She chatted the whole time, talking about the game ( _it's_ _so tiring but fun at the same time!_ ) and their subjects ( _have you finished with our Algebra homework?_ ) and what Nayeon ate for breakfast that day ( _She had cereal BUT she put the milk in first! Like, can you believe that?_ ) Tzuyu listened the entire time. It was easy, considering how captivating Sana spoke. The way she talked and gestured and expressed her thoughts so easily and openly—like she was just a book on a shelf waiting to be picked up by the right person. Tzuyu wanted to be that person so she let Sana hold onto her and she listened to her stories and she tried not to mind the warmth radiating from Sana's arm tucked into hers. 

After ten minutes of walking, they arrived at the nearest Gong Cha. Sana pulled out her arm from Tzuyu's but reached down to intertwine their fingers together. The gesture almost gave Tzuyu a heart attack but it would have to wait because Sana was now pulling her inside and it would be terribly inconvenient if Tzuyu ended up fainting because her heart decided to be _too_ weak. The inside was warm and cozy but packed too. There were plenty of college students milling about, having drinks with their friends or cramming their homework. Tzuyu looked at Sana, who had already lined up behind the counter, and thought about how seamlessly she fit in this kind of hectic atmosphere. 

"Should we have one on the go or do you want to find a table?" Sana asked, glancing at her. 

The place was full. Tzuyu didn't have to look around to know they wouldn't find an available table. Besides, she wanted to hear Sana talk and she couldn't do that if she couldn't even hear her own thoughts—especially with the music mingling with the restless chatter of the crowd. So she shook her head and said, "It's a nice day outside. We should walk around." And she must've chosen correctly because Sana rewarded her with a warm smile—one that made her chest tingle like butterflies were fluttering right inside her ribcage. 

"Okay." Sana still hadn't let go of her hand. If Tzuyu looked closely enough, she would see the faint blush on the other girl's cheeks. But she wasn't looking closely. In fact, her eyes were fixed on their intertwined hands. Sana's fingernails were colored a light shade of pink with flowers painted on it. They looked pretty, like the rest of her. 

The two of them ordered their drinks (Strawberry-Oreo Chocolate Smoothie for Sana, which made Tzuyu raise her eyebrows, and a simple iced latte for Tzuyu) and left the shop. Outside, the weather was still relatively clear. People were enjoying their day. Tzuyu watched a couple of kids riding bikes on their designated lanes and turned when Sana cleared her throat. 

“Where do you live?” Sana asked, adjusting her glasses, “Maybe I can walk you home.”

Tzuyu took a slow sip of her drink. She didn’t really have any plans when she got home. Maybe study, maybe watch a movie. Sana walking her home, however. Well, she was completely unprepared for that. But she didn’t mind. She really wanted to stay a bit longer, listen to her a bit longer, admire her side profile a bit longer.

“We have to take the bus,” Tzuyu said.

Sana nodded, smiling. “That’s okay.”

They walked to the nearest bus stop. Because they held their drinks in their hands, their arms were no longer intertwined. Tzuyu found herself missing the warmth of Sana pressed against her but didn’t do anything to bridge the small space between them. Sana alternated between sipping her drink, pointing out strange cloud shapes in the sky, and asking Tzuyu about her favorite things—favorite subject ( _anything that doesn’t include numbers_ ), favorite drink ( _anything sweet but not too sweet_ ), favorite movie ( _anything that doesn’t have a dog dying as a plot device_ ). It was nice. Tzuyu couldn’t stop smiling.

They reached the bus stop and Sana happily led the way, dragging Tzuyu by the hand and choosing the seats at the very back. Because it was a weekend, there were a lot of people inside. But not a lot that it was fully packed. As the bus started, Sana turned to Tzuyu with a bright smile on her face.

“You know,” she began, “I voted for you.”

Tzuyu’s eyes widened. “What?”

“For Class President.” Sana giggled. “Don’t get me wrong! I like Dahyun-ssi but I like you more.”

Tzuyu wondered if there was something in her drink or if she had slipped into an alternate reality or if Sana was just pulling her leg. Because there was no way she was _actually_ hearing this. Was this really happening? Was Sana sitting next to her in the bus right now, a drink in hand, a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes, and telling her that she liked her? No, not even that. She liked her _more._ Tzuyu wanted to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming or not, so she did. And Sana must’ve noticed because she laughed. Her laugh was sweet, like music to her ears. Tzuyu didn’t have to look into a mirror to know that her cheeks were burning.

“I’m serious,” Sana said with a grin, “I thought you were _so_ cute on the first day of school.”

Tzuyu was starting to feel like a tomato now. “I—”

“The second you stood in front of the class with your orange hair and your cute little dimpled smile, I wanted to take you out to lunch afterwards.” Sana seemed fully aware of the reddening of Tzuyu’s cheeks, if her fond expression was anything to go by. “I still do, actually.”

Tzuyu opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. “I’m sorry?”

Sana rolled her eyes good-naturedly, leaned forward until she was right up in Tzuyu’s space and asked, in a very calm voice, “Do I have to spell everything out, Tzuyu-ssi? I like you. Like, a lot.”

The bus was in motion but Tzuyu felt like she’d been left behind somewhere. “Huh?” she asked, eyes still wide as she took in the way Sana’s lips curled into a devious grin. “You _like_ me? A _lot_?”

Sana nodded. “Yes.” She leaned back and took a long sip of her drink. “It’s hard not to. You’re just so…”

“So…?”

“Pure. Innocent. Beautiful.” Sana put down her drink, balancing the cup between her thighs, and brought her hands together with her palms facing up. “You reminded me of snow, you know? At first, I thought you were aloof and cold. But then I realized that you were just really awkward. And I spent the following months trying to figure out a way to talk to you, which was hard. You only ever hang out with Dahyun and Chaengie, after all. And you’re so focused on getting those stickers.” Sana laughed and Tzuyu’s chest tingled once more. “The secret to those stickers is to kiss the teacher’s ass. Anyway, the thing about snow is that once you get close enough, it starts to melt.”

Tzuyu certainly did feel like she was about to melt any second now. “Uh,” she said, searching Sana’s eyes for the hint of a lie. There was none. She looked genuine and sincere. Tzuyu reached up and touched her own face, feeling the warmth her cheeks were permeating. She had to force her other hand to tighten its grip around her drink so that it wouldn’t fall out of her grasp. Slowly, she felt her lips curling into a smile. “That’s good.”

Sana beamed at her. “Is it?” she asked.

“Yeah.” Tzuyu couldn’t stop smiling now. “Because I like you too. Like, a lot. More than a lot, actually.” She ducked her head, trying to hide her blush. “Dahyun told me to talk to you. She kept saying that you wouldn’t bite.”

“Well, I don’t. Unless you want me to?”

Tzuyu, who had taken a sip of her drink while Sana was talking, nearly choked. But Sana laughed so heartily that it didn’t even matter if Tzuyu had embarrassed herself. What mattered was the way Sana was looking at her and the way her hand settled on the space between them. Her left pinky stretched out, brushing against Tzuyu’s. After a long second in which Tzuyu had to calm her rapidly beating heart, she finally flexed her fingers and covered Sana’s hand with her own.

Today was a good day.

No, scratch that.

Today was the _best_ day of Tzuyu’s life.

And in the back of her mind, she couldn’t wait for Monday to come and see the look on Dahyun’s face when she finds out that _yes_ —like a normal human being—Tzuyu was able to talk to go out there and talk to the one and only Minatozaki Sana. 

**Author's Note:**

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